UH zips past Lamar, ups home winning streak to 21

Houston Cougars guard Galen Robinson Jr. (25) scores the basket while out-of-balance during the second half of the game against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at H&PE Arena on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Houston. The Houston Cougars defeated the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 101-54.

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Over the years, UH senior guard Galen Robinson Jr. has noticed the different ways coach Kelvin Sampson expresses himself.

The suit coat is the first to go and, depending on the mood, the tie is bound to be ripped off at some point. Then there’s the message in the huddle in a timeout.

“Coach has his own unique way of getting everybody electrified,” Robinson said. “He will say a couple of things to get your motor going. It gave us a little spark.”

Was the message Tuesday night repeatable? “Absolutely not,” Robinson said with a smile.

Robinson matched a career-high with 20 points as the Cougars beat Lamar 79-56 at Fertitta Center, extending their home winning streak to 21 games.

Armoni Brooks added 17 points as the Cougars pulled away with a 21-1 run late in the first half.

UH is 7-0 to start a season for the first time since 1997-98 and the fourth time in school history.

Robinson, known more for his defensive presence and role as the Cougars’ floor general, was 7-of-9 shooting in what Sampson called a “highly efficient” performance. It came on a night when the Cougars’ top two scorers, Brooks and Corey Davis Jr., went a combined 7-of-23.

Enter Robinson, who stepped into the scoring role for his first 20-point game since Jan. 14, 2017, at Central Florida.

“I was just taking what the defense gave me,” he said. “If I was open, I shot it. If I wasn’t, I passed it. And if I could drive, I drove.”

Three days after opening the Fertitta Center with a 65-61 upset of No. 18 Oregon, the Cougars used a big first-half run to extend the nation’s second-longest active home winning streak. South Dakota State owns the nation’s longest such streak at 24.

Lamar took advantage of UH mistakes early, going on a 9-2 run midway through the first half to pull within 20-19. That’s when Sampson’s message lit a spark as the Cougars went on a 21-1 run, which included five 3-pointers.

Nate Hinton, UH’s 6-4 freshman guard, came off the bench for 14 points and five rebounds.

Joseph Duarte has been a sports reporter for the Houston Chronicle since August 1996. He currently covers college athletics, focusing on the University of Houston. Previously, he wrote about the Houston Astros from 1998-2002, Houston Texans from 2002-05 and the Texas Longhorns from 2005-09. He came to the Houston Chronicle as part of an internship through the Sports Journalism Institute in 1995.